Louisville basketball: Preseason player power rankings

DES MOINES, IOWA - MARCH 21: Head coach Chris Mack of the Louisville basketball program looks on during their game in the First Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Wells Fargo Arena on March 21, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
DES MOINES, IOWA - MARCH 21: Head coach Chris Mack of the Louisville basketball program looks on during their game in the First Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Wells Fargo Arena on March 21, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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jordan nwora, all-acc, uofl basketball, louisville basketball
LOUISVILLE, KY – JANUARY 26: Jordan Nwora #33 of the Louisville Cardinals reacts after a dunk against the Pittsburgh Panthers in the second half of the game at KFC YUM! Center on January 26, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville won 66-51. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Cardinals . Jordan Nwora. 1. player. 438. . Wing

There’s no player in the country with more to prove this season than Louisville junior forward Jordan Nwora.

Though Nwora is a consensus preseason AP All-American, and the preseason ACC player of the year, the Cards’ leading scorer and rebounder from a season ago was spurned by NBA scouts after testing the waters in the offseason.

Nwora was so close to leaving that he called Chris Mack from an airport just hours before the deadline to withdraw his name from the NBA draft to let him know of his decision. Had he stayed, he would have been a mid-second round selection, but returning to school with feedback on what to improve upon should only sharpen his skillset this season.

Though he has become known for his three-point range, Nwora also proved to be an excellent rebounder on both sides of the ball, a willing distributor, and a real problem when he gets momentum going to the bucket.

Mack likes Nwora as an undersized four, but he can easily play all positions 2-4 on this year’s squad. Given the depth at the forward spots, Nwora could very well play the four on offense and then switch off onto a wing or bigger ball-handler on defense.

If there is an area of improvement for Louisville’s top scorer, it’s bringing consistent effort on the defensive end. Though a capable defender, quick-handed in the passing lanes and an adept shot-blocker, Nwora can become lackadaisical on defense and give the opponent a free possession. It was due to lapses on defense and laziness passing the ball that put Nwora on the bench in critical moments down the stretch last season.

If Louisville wants to end the season on a high note, Nwora has to become a consistent defender and ball handler.

Six bold predictions for Louisville basketball in 2019-2020. dark. Next

Still, there is not a more important player on this squad than Nwora, and until someone steps up and proves they are consistently better than Nwora he will remain No. 1 on our list.